Your handy and scientifically verified guide to healthy eating

Nothing can drive a conversation more than food. In the age of the Internet, the amount of available information about food and nutrition has gone up exponentially, and countless discussions can be found about which diet can be the most effective at keeping one healthy or keeping one’s weight in control. Just as legion are the discussions on whether fat, or carbs, or sugars, or dairy, or meat products are bad for you.

For anyone who is a complete novice to the subject of physical health, it can be downright confusing to try and learn anything that might help. Even worse, those looking to start a healthy lifestyle might get discouraged by the sheer amount of contradictory information.

To remedy this and correct some misconceptions about nutrition, we have taken scientifically verified data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and compiled a trusty four-point guide for keeping you and your family eating healthy.

Point #1: You can eat (almost) anything you want. But moderation is key.

Carbohydrates are not bad for you. Neither are fats. In fact, barring any medical conditions, a normal adult needs both in order to live a healthy lifestyle.

“The exact makeup of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual needs (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle, degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs. But basic principles of what constitute a healthy diet remain the same,” WHO wrote on its Web site.

The varying dietary needs of individuals largely fall to the lifestyle of the individual in question. People who live an active lifestyle, such as athletes or those doing a lot of manual labor, may need more proteins and fats to support their energy requirements.

Essentially, a healthy diet should contain at least 400 grams (or five portions) of fruits and vegetables, not counting root crops like potatoes. Less than or around 30% of one’s daily energy intake should be from unsaturated fats, such as those found in fish, nuts, canola, and olive oils, or saturated fats, like those found in meat and dairy products.

Less than 10%, or about 50 grams (less than 4 tablespoons) of one’s diet should come from free sugars, such as those found in juices and sweetened drinks. Less than five grams of salt (or a teaspoon) is also recommended. Finally, legumes, such as lentils and beans, as well as whole grains, like oats, wheat, and brown rice, should round out a healthy diet.

As long as those guidelines are followed, and as long as one’s daily calorie requirements are being met, an adult person can receive all the necessary nutrients to live a healthy life. The same goes for children and teenagers.

Point #2: Avoid processed foods.

As a caveat to the first point, there is a known danger to eating too much processed foods.

“Consuming a healthy diet throughout the lifecourse helps prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases and conditions. But the increased production of processed food, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns. People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars or salt/sodium, and many do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and dietary fibre such as whole grains,” WHO explained.

Eating too much processed foods, that is, eating too much salt, sugar and fats has been linked with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

“Most people consume too much sodium through salt (corresponding to an average of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium. High salt consumption and insufficient potassium intake (less than 3.5 g) contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke,” the global health organization wrote.

“People are often unaware of the amount of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats like bacon, ham and salami; cheese and salty snacks) or from food consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is also added to food during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce and fish sauce) or at the table (e.g. table salt).”

“One-point-seven million deaths could be prevented each year if people’s salt consumption were reduced to the recommended level of less than five grams per day,” WHO added.

Sugars, and to some extent, fats, meanwhile contribute to unhealthy weight gain, leading to obesity, which can then lead to a number of health problems. Sugars, especially those in soft drinks, also contribute to dental problems like tooth decay.

Point #3: Breast-feed infants and young children.

WHO maintains that children should be breast-fed continuously until two years of age. Infants below six months should be breast-fed exclusively.

“On its own, breast milk provides all the nutrients and fluids that babies need for their first 6 months of healthy growth and development. Exclusively breast-fed babies have better resistance against common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea, respiratory infections and ear infections. In later life, those who were breast-fed as infants are less likely to become overweight or obese, or to suffer from noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.”

This is to ensure that children receive optimal nutrition during a critical period in their development, fostering healthy growth and improving cognitive capabilities.

From six months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient dense complementary foods, which do not include salt or sugars.

Point #4: Balance your energy intake with your energy expenditure.

In other words, do not consume more calories than you spend on physical activity from day to day. WHO cites unhealthy diets and a lack of physical activity as one of the leading global health risks.

It pays to know your recommended total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) from your doctor, or even from the various nutritional resources online, to determine your recommended daily calorie intake. Achieving an ideal body weight for your particular height and age, and in extension, living a healthy life requires you to have some knowledge on how you spend your energy daily, and how you restore that energy.

Finally, go out for a walk from time to time.

“Insufficient physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for global mortality and is on the rise in many countries, adding to the burden of NCDs and affecting general health worldwide. People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active,” WHO wrote.

“Regular physical activity of moderate intensity — such as walking, cycling, or doing sports — has significant benefits for health. At all ages, the benefits of being physically active outweigh potential harm, for example through accidents. Some physical activity is better than doing none. By becoming more active throughout the day in relatively simple ways, people can quite easily achieve the recommended activity levels.”